Olsson – ‘Hold On’ (feat. Mapei)

We can’t ignore that the 1990s are not just back from a fashion point of view but also musically. It wasn’t the worst decade for some musical subgenres and if someone reactivates the smooth breakbeat-driven hip hop sounds of the early 90s (did somebody say STEREO MCS?) we surely don’t mind. OLSSON from Sweden did and that gives his new single Hold On a certain fresh element of surprise; the gospel choir does the rest.

Laurel – ‘Hurricane’

Southampton-based LAUREL might be only 22-years old but that surely doesn’t stop here from providing a quality piece of dreamy alternative pop with her latest single Hurricane. It’s driven nature mixes up with a catchy melody and her profound vocals. There’s something quite organic in that LAUREL single that makes it way less annoying than many other contemporary pop releases. It’s a nice change in ingredients that makes us all excited for Park, her debut EP which arrives on November 18 via Counter Records.

Wildhart – ‘Shake Off’

Gothenburg WILDHART announced themselves to the world this year with their EP 1 release, which showed off the band’s creative scope, tackling everything from big-chorus art-pop on Stuck In A Second to neo-soul on Fantasy. Shake Off is the opening shot of their recently announced debut album Shine. It’s more direct than the songs on the EP, locked into shape by a rhythmic drumbeat, but still packed with ideas and perfectly happy to exercise its weird-pop muscles. WILDHART‘s secret weapon is singer Ylva Holmdahl’s astonishing vocal range, capable of covering all the mountains and valleys of human expression, used here to smash restrictions and oppression, (“you better shake off, all the stones that bother you, you better turn them into gold”) be it the patriarchy or anything else that dares stand in her way. Shine is out on November 11th on Gaphals.

White Balance – ‘Home’

Everybody loves the feeling of being home, that much is for sure. Helsinki-based two-piece WHITE BALANCE decided to dedicate an entire pop song to the romanticized feeling of lying in your bed while the rain pours down and the coffee is already waiting for you. Home adds a certain melancholic note to the quite catchy piece of synthpop Ilari Heinilä and Maaria Nuoranne are presenting us right here. It’s an undeniable sweet piece of music.

The Vryll Society – ‘A Perfect Rhythm’

The original Vril society were characters in Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s 1871 novel The Coming Race, a book that became popular in occultist circles throughout the 2oth century (its fans included David Bowie and, allegedly, members of the Nazi Party). Liverpool group THE VRYLLSOCIETY are probably not members of this civilisation, but what’s certain is that they do know how to write a song. A Perfect Rhythm is a sparking space-pop tune, loaded with groove and a shimmering psych aesthetic. It’s out now on Deltasonic.

Elle Belle – Knock On The Light

ELLE BELLE is LA musician Christopher Pappas, and his new single Knock On The Light sees him go for the weird pop crown in a big way. A song about casting away the mundane chains of a ‘typical’ life, it’s a wildly colourful, falsetto-laden disco-pop bouncer, pinballing between big synth swoops and jangling guitar lines. Misty Boyce of BØRNS joins in to add her voice to the monster chorus. It’s part of his WAKO GUMBO album/project, out on November 11th on Little Record Company. And it’s got this lovely video, which kinda looks like how an Olympic relay race would play out if the athletes took different drugs to the ones they normally do.

Palace – ‘It’s Over’

It’s not over for PALACE, despite what their latest single might state. In fact they just got started as they are releasing their anticipated debut full-length So Long Forever on November 4 via Fiction Records. It’s Over is highly emotional indie blues rock with a bittersweet note. The band explains: ‘It comes from feeling the need to accept what will be, no matter how bad things are. It’s the realisation that things that seem so solid can be so brittle.’ Feel it right here.

If you want the latest sounds don’t forget to follow NOTHING BUT HOPE AND PASSION‘s ‘Weekly Discoveries’ playlist on Spotify, featuring the 50 freshest new songs we recently featured on our page. For other more frequent news don’t forget to follow NBHAP on Twitter and Facebook as well.